Federal judge tosses ex-ATU softball coach's bias lawsuitLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit by a former college women's softball coach that accused the university of gender and sexual orientation discrimination. The judge dismissed the case Thursday without prejudice, meaning Gidget Pambianchi can't refile it. Pambianchi had coached for Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Pambianchi, who is a lesbian, says she was fired in April 2012 after she moved to fire a male assistan...

Wonder Boys prepare for spring footballSpring football is a time for change, and Arkansas Tech is going through some big moves as it works in preparation for the 2015 season. The Wonder Boys completed the first portion of the spring session with a scrimmage, and are working to install a vastly different offense than what took the field last season, as offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon brought with him a high-tempo offensive plan from Auburn. “The biggest thing we’re doing right n...

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Dave Rung, ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Golden Suns sweep Northeastern StateJunior Kambri Hill went two-for-two with four RBIs in game one, slugging a pair of home runs in a 5-0 win, while Miranda Dupree went two-for-three with two RBIs in game two as Arkansas Tech (21-7) defeated Northeastern State (12-16), 5-1. In game one of the doubleheader, the Golden Suns got on the board first on an RBI single by Alicia Lowrey in the bottom of the second, giving the Golden Suns a 1-0 lead. The Suns scored two more runs in the b...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Surtevall continues dominance in St. JosephThey may have to rename St. Joseph Country Club in St. Joseph, Mo., Surtevall’s Alley. Arkansas Tech University senior Rebecka Surtevall earned her fourth career individual victory over the par-72 layout and led the Golden Suns to the team championship in the Holiday Inn Express Central Region Invitational on Sunday and Monday. It marked the third consecutive year that Surtevall has won the individual title in the event. She also captured the ...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Qualls, Portis come up big, Arkansas falls short against UNCJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Michael Qualls and Bobby Portis did their part against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas' two-man show accounted for more than half the Razorbacks' points, rebounds and steals. They just needed more help. Qualls had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Portis added 18 points and 14 boards in Arkansas' 87-78 loss to the fourth-seeded Tar Heels on Saturday night in the West Region. Now, the dynamic duo could be ...

Arkansas women end season with 73-44 NCAA loss at BaylorWACO, Texas (AP) — Arkansas coach Jimmy Dykes spent only about 30 seconds after the game talking to his players about their season-ending loss at Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 73-44 loss on the perennial Big 12 champion's home court won't take away what their undermanned Razorbacks accomplished in their first year under Dykes. "We had a phenomenal year and a bad day is what it boils down to," Dykes said. "We were picke...

Fergus named GAC Player of the WeekArkansas Tech University senior Cole Fergus is the Great American Conference baseball player of the week. He received the honor from the league office in Russellville on Monday, March 23. Fergus, an outfielder from Kansas City, Kan., was 7-for-14 at the plate with a home run, six runs batted in and four runs scored in four games last week. He finished a single short of hitting for the cycle against Southeastern Oklahoma State University in gam...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Kline, Tech lead after day one of Holiday Inn Express ClassicST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Taylor Kline fired an opening-round 75 (+3) and sits in a three-way tie for first place, leading a group of three Arkansas Tech Golden Suns golfers in the top ten as the No. 20 Golden Suns finished the opening round with a two-stroke lead at the Holiday Inn Express Central Region Invitational. Megan Jeffery carded an opening-round 76 (+4) and sits in a four-way tie for fourth, while Rebecka Surtevall’s first-round 77 (+5) put...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Clark fires no-hitter, Golden Suns sweep SAUSophomore Syndee Clark threw a no hitter in game one, while senior Victoria Huie and freshman Morgan Vaughan combined in the second game allowing just three hits to help lead Arkansas Tech (18-6, 9-3 GAC) to a series sweep against Southern Arkansas (14-11, 6-7 GAC), winning the day's opener 7-0 before taking a 11-1 win in the nightcap. The Golden Suns plated one run in the top of the first to take the lead in the opener, off of a Whitney Robin...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas women rally for 57-55 NCAA win over NorthwesternWACO, Texas (AP) — With a big comeback, the Arkansas women proved to first-year coach Jimmy Dykes they weren't satisfied with just being in the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks wanted to keep playing, and they will after overcoming a 13-point second-half deficit to beat Northwestern 57-55 in a first-round game Friday. "Big boost of confidence in our first year to be in the NCAA and then to win a game like we had to win," said Dykes, the former ...

Arkansas hangs on to beat Wofford 56-53, avoid 5-seed woesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Arkansas surely knows about Wofford now. Michael Qualls scored 20 points, Southeastern Conference player of the year Bobby Portis added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and the fifth-seeded Razorbacks held off the No. 12 seed Terriers 56-53 in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. Arkansas (27-8) escaped a slow-paced, back-and-forth game in the West Regional that featured 18 lead changes, 10 ties and neither team ahead by ...

ATU Agri Department to host golf tournamentThe Arkansas Tech University Department of Agriculture will host the 2nd Annual Agriculture Scholarship Golf Tournament on Saturday, April 18 at Chamberlyne Country Club in Danville. The four-person scramble will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place teams. Lunch will be catered by Chamberlyne Country Club. The cost to enter the tournament is $300 per team for the general public and $180 p...

Wonder Boys to host Savage StormBack on track with 10 victories in their last 11 games, the Arkansas Tech baseball team will look to keep a modest three-game league winning streak going when it hosts Southeastern Oklahoma in a three-game Great American Conference series Friday and Saturday at Tech Field. The Wonder Boys (14-10, 3-5 GAC) have bounced back from a tough start to post a stellar mark in the month of March, ripping off six wins in a row starting with the series fi...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Wonder Boys' run ends in NCAAsSIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Augustana College proved itself worthy of its No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II Tournament Central Regional and its No. 2 national ranking on Saturday night. The Vikings (31-2) defeated Arkansas Tech University 104-77 in a men’s NCAA Tournament first-round game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. With the win, Augustana advances to the NCAA Tournament Central Regional semifinals on Sunday, March 15. The Wonder Boy...

Golden Suns begin play in NCAA TournamentArkansas Tech University will return to familiar circumstances and face an unfamiliar opponent when the Golden Suns open play in the NCAA Division II Tournament this afternoon. Tech will begin its 12th women’s NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998 by taking on Emporia State University for the first time. It’s one of four NCAA Division II Tournament Central Regional games scheduled itoday. Other opening-round games will pit No. 3 seed Pittsburg...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Wonder Boys down ECU to win Conference title, advance to NCAA TournamentBARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Mike Balogun scored a career-high 33 points, Jay Murphy turned in a 16-point effort, Clarence Willard scored 15 points with five boards while D.J. Jethroe added a 11-point, eight-rebound performance as the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (18-13) captured the Great American Conference championship with an 80-77 win over East Central (21-10) on Sunday at the Bruin Fieldhouse. By virtue of their conference title, t...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Golden Suns fall in GAC title gameBARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Fatima Adams led all scorers with 17 points, but the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (23-6) were unable to come away with a win in the Great American Conference championship game against Harding (23-6), falling 68-50 to the Lady Bisons on Sunday at the Bruin Fieldhouse. Momentum seemed to be with the Golden Suns early on, as Arkansas Tech opened the game on an 8-2 run and eventually led by nine (13-4) with 13:30 to play in the ...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Wonder Boys sweep AugustanaTaking advantage of its first real seasonable temperatures in the friendly confines of Tech Field, the Arkansas Tech baseball team powered its way to a pair of wins over Central Region opponent Augustana, blasting four home runs and seven extra-base hits to pick up victories of 8-6 and 9-1. The Wonder Boys (8-9) leaned on the long ball early in both games, with Patrick Castleberry providing the bulk of the pop, going 4-for-6 with three home ru...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley